Add these 7 rare coloured gemstones to your collection

Besides the more commonly known stones like emerald, diamond, sapphire, and ruby, some rare coloured gemstones are not heard of quite often. The fact that they are rare gradually increases their value manifold. Let’s quickly discuss some of them. 

1. Larimar

Another stone that occurs rarely is Larimar. It is found in only a small portion of the Dominican Republic. There’s an interesting story behind the name of this rare coloured gemstone. The stone got its name from the man who made it famous, Miguel Mendez, who named it after his daughter Larissa and the Spanish word for sea, Mar. That is how the name of the stone was coined. 

2. Tanzanite

This stone is blue and is a variety of the mineral zoisite. It is found in a small area in Tanzania, which is close to the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro to be precise. The popularity of the stone has increased immensely since its discovery in the 1960s. Most stones available in the market are treated at extremely high temperatures to get the blue colour. Any naturally occurring Tanzanite that has not been heat-treated is therefore very precious. 

3. Paraiba Tourmaline or Neon Lustre

Paraiba Tourmaline comes in a very bright turquoise colour, which is due to the copper content. These stones are found in Brazil. The stone was first mined in 1987 by Heitor Dimas Barbosa. Years later, tourmalines of similar colour were found in the mountains of Mozambique and Nigeria. However, some believe these were not as exceptional as the ones found in Brazil. 

4. Black Opal

In general, opals are of a creamy white colour. But some opals are black and are very rare. These occur primarily in the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales in Australia. These stones also have rainbow-colored inclusions, and the ones that have brighter inclusions are more expensive. 

5. Benitoite 

Benitoite is also a rare coloured gemstone found in California. This stone has become extremely rare as the mine from which it was excavated closed in 2006. It comes in a deep blue colour and becomes fluorescent when held under UV light.

6. Grandidierite 

Grandidierite was discovered in Madagascar and got its name from Alfred Lacroix, a French mineralogist. Lacroix named the stone after an expert on Madagascar’s natural history, Alfred Grandidier. A large number of these stones are translucent, and the most valuable one found was transparent. 

7. Alexandrite or the Colour-Shifting Gem

This stone was first found in 1830 in the Ural Mountains in Russia and got its name from the Russian tsar Alexander II. It is known for its changing colours. While it appears blue-green in sunlight, it appears to be red and purple when holding against incandescent light. The extent of colour change varies from one stone to another. In some stones, there is a complete change of colour. While in others, the change is somewhat marginal. 

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